NAIROBI, Kenya, May 12, 2015 / PRNewswire – Women in Kenya can now prevent pregnancy without side effects using a free smartphone app called CycleBeads®. The CycleBeads Android app helps a woman know which days she is fertile and which days she is not based on her period start dates. This information can be used to prevent or plan pregnancy. CycleBeads is the only app that can be used to effectively prevent pregnancy by simply tracking a woman’s period start dates.

Was proven more than 95% effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly in large-scale efficacy trials.

Is the most widely used modern natural family planning option in the world having been used by +4.5 million women worldwide in +60 countries, including Kenya.

Is designed for women with cycles between 26 and 32 days long

Cycle Technologies, the company that developed the CycleBeads app, is working with researchers from iHub in Nairobi and the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, to test its usability and impact.

“While many mobile-based health technologies are coming into the Kenyan market, CycleBeads is unique in its approach, using the mobile phone to increase information needed to adhere to a natural family planning method (Standard Days Method). I think this app is a great option for women in Kenya who want to plan the size of their families naturally without using hormonal contraception,” says Angela Okune of iHub,

The CycleBeads Android app has already been downloaded by over 30,000 women around the world. Based on pilot research conducted by iHub, the original app has been updated to help better meet the needs of Kenyan women.

“CycleBeads is ideal for a woman who is looking for a way to monitor her cycle. This can be extremely useful information,” said Dr. Nzisa Liku AfyaBora Fellow 2014/2015.

About Cycle Technologies
Cycle Technologies is a socially minded consumer product company based in Washington, D.C. Since 2002 the company has worked with researchers, healthcare partners, and technologists to identify, develop, and make available solutions to address global health needs. www.CycleTechnologies.com